The study of linguistic cognition takes you into the heart of the mind. Cognitive linguists examine the language that we use to tell stories, describe feelings and sensory experiences, collaborate with each other and convey our beliefs for clues about the organization of human conceptual systems, our capacity for inference and the remarkably flexible ways in which we understand and communicate our experiences. For example, we can talk about love as a journey, a bond, a container, a force, a vehicle or a patient in need of medical help.

What is Cognitive Linguistics?

Cognitive Linguistics can be described as the scientific study of language. It is involved with the analysis of many aspects of a language, including its structure, context, and form. To simplify, studying Cognitive Linguistics can help us gain a scientific understanding of the different sounds or shapes we use for communication. This includes a study into their differences, meanings, rules governing them, and how they are understood. Going for a Linguistics degree has multiple advantages. Studying linguistics can lead to improved communication skills, as well as enhance analytical skills and critical thinking abilities.

The study program of Cognitive Linguistics

Cognitive linguists study the way meanings change over time, how our visual perception of words and our auditory perception of speech sounds are influenced by expectation and context, how children learn the meanings of words and grammatical patterns as rapidly as they do, how conceptual differences among communities of practice affect judgment and decision making, what happens in the brain as we produce and understand language and how we understand the actions and intentions of others through mental simulation. The study of linguistic cognition combines tools from computer science, cognitive psychology, semantic theory, philosophy of action, and neuroscience to connect human reasoning and empathy to the human imagination.

Bachelor’s Degrees in Cognitive Linguistics

A bachelor in Linguistics degree is generally of a duration of 4 years. At the undergraduate level, most universities offer a BA degree, although some universities may offer a BSc degree as well. An undergraduate Linguistic degree aims to cover a selection of the core elements of linguistic study, using both theoretical and practical approaches.

Master’s Degrees in Cognitive Linguistics

The Master in Cognitive Language is a highly interdisciplinary program aimed at providing a comprehensive understanding of language as a human cognitive capacity, combining theoretical perspectives in Linguistics and Philosophy with their different and many applications in fields such as Computational Linguistics, Psycholinguistics, and Text Analysis.

PhD Program in Cognitive Linguistics

The PhD program is interdisciplinary and includes faculty from Humanities, Science, and Health Sciences. The program has a strong research orientation with expertise in cognitive science, corpus linguistics, neurolinguistics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, and theoretical linguistics. The program introduces students to the issues in those fields that form the nexus of linguistics, cognitive science, and cognitive neuroscience, and trains students in the research methods employed to study them.

Professional opportunities

Research, teaching and clinical practice in areas related to the lines of research worked on. Research and teaching in related areas (Health science and neuroscience, language pathologies, language acquisition, forensic linguistics).